ILOILO City – This southern city is gearing up for heavy traffic this December as holiday shoppers rush to the metro.
Of particular concern is the traffic situation in Barangay Ungka, Jaro district where a defective P680-million newly-built flyover connecting the city to Pavia, Iloilo is being repaired.
The flow of vehicles there is agonizingly slow due to the ongoing repair works.
The traffic congestion is seen to worsen this holiday season when the volume of vehicles is expected to balloon.
According to Public Safety and Transportation Management Office head Jeck Conlu, starting Thursday, Dec. 1, none of their personnel will be allowed to go on holiday break to make sure there is enough traffic enforcers to manage the streets.
“Ang aton mga tawo gina-make sure naton nga ara tanan sa dalan, especially during rush hours,” said Conlu.
For Barangay Ungka, additional traffic personnel will be deployed. The flyover repair is not expected to be completed in time for Christmas, contrary to an earlier pronouncement of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 6.
To ease the traffic congestion in the area, Conlu urged private vehicles to take alternative routes (the Jibao-an, Mandurriao and Tacas, Jaro routes).
According to Iloilo 4th District Provincial Board member Rolando Distura, DPWH-6 assistant regional director Al Fruto sent a communication expressing regret that the flyover couldn’t be reopened to traffic as promised.
The four-lane flyover is 453.7 lineal meters long on bored pile foundation, including the approaches.
The DPWH-Bureau of Designs has not given recommendations yet as to what engineering intervention to introduce to the flyover, according to Distura, citing the communication from Fruto.
The Ungka flyover was fully opened to public use on the first week of September but was closed to traffic two weeks after. It was found to be suffering from vertical displacement (subsidence or slumping). Three problematic piers were identified.
A pier is an overall system that extends to the ground below, including the posts supporting the girders, coping and columns. It is used to support the superstructure of the flyover.
Distura is planning to file a resolution calling on DPWH-6 to hasten the repair.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Iloilo recently passed a resolution asking DPWH’s central office to check the flyover.
Iloilo 2nd District’s Rep. Mike Gorriceta wrote to DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan, too, about the Ungka flyover.
The flyover was built supposedly to ease traffic congestion in Ungka, especially during rush hours, and reduce travel time to the Iloilo Airport from the city to some 20 minutes only from the usual 40 to 45 minutes.
Its construction started last January 2020. It passes over the busy intersection of the Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue (Diversion Road) and the President Corazon C. Aquino Avenue (Circumferential Road 1).
As for the other areas of concern such as the downtown, according to Conlu, personnel from the Special Services Division of the PSTMO will be mobilized to manage sidewalk vendors.
Mayor Jerry P. Treñas allowed open sidewalk vending from Dec. 1 to 31.
Conlu said the city has 320 traffic personnel. They will be augmented by the Iloilo City Police Office’s Traffic Enforcement Unit and mobile groups.
“Kon indi ma-balance sang traffic lights, temporaryo naton nga ginapatay kag ginamanu-mano naton,” Conlu said./PN
